Background It is important that STI screening provision reflects the priorities of young people, as they bear the greatest burden of disease. Such provision has become possible in a wider range of settings but there are constraints due to budget pressures. The objectives of the study were: • To assess how young people prioritise different characteristics of STI screening; • To analyse whether there are differences across socio-demographic groups; • To predict participation rates for different service configurations.

Methods Eight qualitative focus groups were used to design a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to analyse the choices made by young people. DCEs are an attribute-based survey method which involve respondents making choices between hypothetical scenarios, comprising two or more alternatives. The DCE included the following service characteristics: waiting times for appointments, waiting times for results, type of consultation, staff attitude, type of screening test, STIs tested for, and setting. The DCE was administered to 2000 young people who were part of an online panel in the UK, with quotas set to ensure inclusion of minority ethnic groups.

Results Analyses indicated that all seven service characteristics investigated were statistically significant factors for participants. Feeling that staff were non-judgemental was the most important characteristic to young people. Being tested for all STIs, having a full consultation and getting results quickly were also characteristics identified as important. Further analyses revealed some heterogeneity in priorities by gender, ethnicity and age group.

Conclusion This study provides valuable insights into the service characteristics that are seen as the most important by young people. This knowledge will allow those involved in providing and designing services to understand the relative importance of different service characteristics. At a time when sexual health services are facing pressures, such findings can be used to inform service development to ensure that decision-making is informed by young people’s priorities.

Disclosure No significant relationships.